The New York Times reported on DeVotchka's take on "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Excerpt:
When the orchestra lands its final note -- with a sharpness worthy of the razor-wielding protagonist -- the company bursts into whoops and applause. It is the first time the vocalists have rehearsed with the musicians -- the first time they've heard the new orchestrations arranged, as unlikely as it seems, by the indie rock band
DeVotchKa.
"When we hit that last note and they screamed it seriously felt like eight months of tension was doused with the emotion from all these actors," said DeVotchKa's percussionist, Shawn King, who along with bandmates Tom Hagerman and Jeanie Schroder, arranged the score and will play in the pit. "Until this moment, I felt like, 'Are we doing the right thing here? Was it a good idea?'"
Many a theater company lately has done more than merely attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, to quote the show's opening salvo. They've tweaked one of Mr. Sondheim's most diabolically crafted, technically demanding musicals, aiming in some cases to reach beyond the traditional -- and aging -- theater audiences while honoring one of its masters.
Read the rest
here.
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